ANAHEIM – An oddity in the schedule has the Ducks feeling a bit irritated as they face the Ottawa Senators at Honda Center on Wednesday night to start a three-game homestand.

The Ducks are happy to be home from a winding six-game road trip that begin in Los Angeles and circled through the midwest and south before ending in Las Vegas on Tuesday night.

Playing on the very next night and not getting a day off after a 12-day venture irked Ducks coach Randy Carlyle.

“It’s just a continuation,” Carlyle viewed. “The road trip isn’t over. We don’t get much rest. It’s the first road trip I’ve ever been on in my career that we play six in a row on the road and then come back and play at home off a back-to-back.

“That’s a new one. Schedule makers, I don’t know where they were when they decided this event.”

The Ducks (11-11-6) have won only one of their past eight but scratched out three extra points by taking games to shootouts, which they lost. Their record could be better had they closed out games better, such as a 4-3 defeat in Vegas where they allowed the tying goal with 4:22 left.

“Let’s be realistic,” Carlyle said. “We’re asking some young kids that have never been in this situation before to perform. This is a baptismal by fire. I’m not going to get too wired up about how we played in it and how we didn’t close it out or whatever.

“We got a point. We’re going to move on. It’s been a tough road trip. Played some good teams in some raucous buildings. We were down 2-0 and we found a way to steal a point.”

Adam Henrique will make his home debut with the Ducks. The veteran center, put immediately on the top line after his arrival from New Jersey, has gotten off to a strong start with assists in each of his first three games.

The Ducks hope to have Jakob Silfverberg, whom Carlyle called a “game-time decision.” Silfverberg has missed the past three games because of an upper-body injury. Joseph Blandisi appears to be scratched again due to an upper-body injury.

Hampus Lindholm (upper body) remains out, as well as Ryan Getzlaf (cheekbone), Ryan Kesler (hip), Jared Boll (leg) and Patrick Eaves (illness). Ryan Miller (2-0-4, 2.02 GAA, .936 SV%) is expected to make the start in net. It will be his eighth game with the Ducks.

Here is the projected lineup for the Ducks:

Rickard Rakell-Adam Henrique-Corey Perry

Andrew Cogliano-Chris Wagner-Kevin Roy

Nick Ritchie-Antoine Vermette-Ondrej Kase

Logan Shaw-Derek Grant-Dennis Rasmussen

Cam Fowler-Josh Manson

Francois Beauchemin-Brandon Montour

Jaycob Megna-Kevin Bieksa

The Senators (9-10-6) held an exhaustive practice session Tuesday at the Kings’ practice facility, with a simmering Coach Guy Boucher doing it in response to a listless 5-0 loss Sunday at Winnipeg.

Ottawa is in the middle of a winding seven-game road trip and a stretch in which it is playing 10 of 11 away from Canada’s capital after a home-heavy early part of their schedule. It had lost seven in a row until getting a 6-5 win Friday over the New York Islanders.

“It was well-needed and well-deserved with the way we’ve been,” Senators winger Bobby Ryan told the Ottawa Sun. “Urgency was the word and the theme of the day, being prepared to battle, and (Boucher) said if he wasn’t going to get it in the games he was going to get it in practice, and I thought he brought that out of us today.”

Outside of their six-goal explosion, the Senators had been shut out twice and limited to two goals or fewer in every other game of their 1-7-1 slump. Perhaps it is no coincidence star captain Erik Karlsson has gone without a point in that nine-game stretch.

Mark Stone has been a model of consistency. Stone, who leads Ottawa with 14 goals and 25 points, has not gone more than a game without a point since Oct. 19.

Others are struggling. Ryan has just one goal and seven assists in a season interrupted by a broken index finger. Matt Duchene, whom they acquired from Colorado in a blockbuster deal, has one goal and one assist in 11 games with the Senators.

Former Ducks center Nate Thompson has played in every game and has three goals and four assists over an average of 13 minutes per game. Thompson is in his first season with the Senators after signing as a free agent.

Craig Anderson (7-8-3, 3.06 GAA, .895 SV%) will make the start in goal. Anderson has not won since Oct. 10 against Colorado in Stockholm. The 36-year-old has a 3-6-1 lifetime record against the Ducks, with a 3.37 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.

Cody Ceci has played in all 25 games but could possibly be scratched or remain in if Boucher goes with seven defensemen after telling reporters Ben Harpur will draw into the lineup. Defensemen Mark Borowiecki and Chris Wideman are on injured reserve.

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